Cocette's Moroccan Carrots

Moroccan spiced carrots are a tasty and popular side dish, but there are as many different recipes for these carrots as there are cooks. However one thing is almost always certain, Middle Eastern and North African recipes tend to favor savory and spicy flavors in their vegetables rather than sweet ingredients. 

This carrot recipe is seasoned with garlic, cumin, cayenne pepper, lemon, salt, and pepper.
It is a tangy, delicious recipe that is easy, frugal, and a little spicy.

I live in a very diverse community in South Florida in the winter. In addition to many Latino, Russian, and French Canadians, there is also a significant community of Sephardic Jews who immigrated to the USA from Arab countries prior to 1968. These are people whose families were born and lived in countries such as Egypt, Lebanon, Algeria, Morocco, Syria, for many generations prior to immigrating to the US or Canada.

I visited Tangier, Morocco last May. Our tour guide took us to a colorful restaurant that reflected the style and flavors of the region. 

We were touring during the holy month Ramadan, therefore the staff and locals were fasting during the day. Ramadan is a Muslim holiday that is a month long. Adults fast from sunrise to sunset throughout the entire month. It is a time of prayer, fasting, self reflecting, and community. After sunset each night, the streets were filled with all kinds of delicious foods to break the daily fast. 

I have to admit as a gluten free vegetarian, I was limited to what I could eat. Dishes such as cous cous, spinach pies, cake and cookie recipes were obviously not gluten free, and it was somewhat difficult to ask questions and communicate about the ingredients. I ate mostly salads and chickpeas during my time in Tangier!

Food Prepared For Breaking the Fast

Food prepared for Ramadan Break Fast

Food for Breaking the Fast

All of the Moroccan food and pastries looked and smelled delicious! 

I have many Moroccan Jewish friends who live in Florida at least for the winter. These women are very family oriented and amazing cooks who have carried the flavors and recipes of Morocco with them from their birthplace.  One such friend is Nancy. Her nickname is Cocette. She immigrated to the US as an adult.

This is Cocette's traditional family recipe for Moroccan carrots.

Nancy is an outstanding cook and cooks up a storm every week for a family Shabbat (Sabbath) meal! 

Her Moroccan carrot recipe is authentic and exceptional full of warming spices and freshly squeezed lemon!

Next time you are looking for an interesting side dish, change it up with this easy naturally gluten free and vegan Moroccan side dish.

Ingredients

6 full sized carrots peeled and sliced

1/4 olive oil
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt to taste
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 

1/4 cup vegetable broth or water
1/4 cup fresh parsley or fresh spinach

Directions

Cut the carrots into half inch slices and set aside.

In a skillet, add the olive oil, garlic, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper. Stir and sautee for 2 minutes. Add the sliced carrots, lemon juice and water. Stir well, cover and cook on a low heat for about 5-7 minutes.

Remove from heat and add salt and parsley.   

My Notes: 
1. I like to lightly steam my sliced carrots before I add them to the mixture to ensure that my carrots are soft. This is another post with my personal Moroccan Carrot Recipe

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